Spring-bearing for bicycles or other vehicles.



Patented Aug. I900.

F. L. KOEHLER SPRING BEARING FUR BICYCLES OR OTHER VEHICLES.

(Application filed Sept. 18, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

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N01 655,445. Patented Aug. 7, I900.- F. L. KUEHLEH.

SPRING BEARING FOR BICYCLES OR OTHER VEHICLES. (Application filed Sept.18, 189 9.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED L. KOEHLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO v THOMASJ. DUNNE, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

SPRING-BEARING FOR BICYCLES OR OTHER'VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,445, dated August'7, 1900. Application filed September 18, 1899. Serial No. 730,865. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED L. KOEHLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in SpringBearings forBicycles or other Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is the production of an improvedspring-bearing for bicycles and other vehicles.

The invention is shown herein in its application to a safety-bicycle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view, partly insection, of the hub of the forward Wheel of a bicycle embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of certain of the parts shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view, partly in section, of the hub of therear wheel of a bicycle embodying my invention in a slightly-modifiedform. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the tubular spring-casings,the springs being removed and the lower part of the casing broken away.Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is asectional view on dotted line X Xof Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is likewise ahorizontal section on dotted line Y Y of Fig. 1, the spring beingomitted from thelatter View.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

In the embodiment here shown of this invention the ordinaryball-bearings are used, the two cones of said ball-bearings being. fixedon the opposite ends of ashaft. To the outer face of each of these conesis rigidly attached a spring-casing having centrallyperforated ends.Each of said spi'ing casings contains a bearing-block capable of avertical movement, being guided in said movement by two alined pins,which pins lie in the central perforations in the ends of thespring-casing. Acoil-sprin g surrounds each of said pins and cushionsboth the upward and the downward movement of the bicycleframe, thebicycle-forks being rigidly secured to the sides of the bearing-blocks.

Referring to the drawings, A is the hub of a bicycle-wheel, and A asleeve for rigidly securing the cones A together.

A indicates the balls, and A the cup of the ordinary ball-bearing.

The spring-casings B, cut awayv at their outer sides to permit access totheir interiors, are secured by any suitable means rigidly to the outerends of the cones A. These spring-casings B are intended in use to standin a vertical position. They have the closed upper and lower ends B,perforated centrally by the alined screw-threaded openings B whichscrew-threaded openings are adapted to receive the correspondinglyscrewthreaded adjusting-studs B The lock-nuts B hold the adjlisting-studs B in any desired position of adjustment. Theseadjustingstnds B are provided with the central alined openings B andbear at their inner ends the spring-sockets B eachof which sockets has acentral opening coincident with the alined openings B of theadjusting-studs 13 Each of the adjusting studs 13 is also provided witha screw-threaded boss B intended to receive the dust-cap B The outerside of each of the spring-casings B is closed by a curving cover 13*,of sheet metal, secured in position in any suitable manner.

Two guide-pins 0 lie within the alined open-. ings B of theadjusting-studs B extending also through the central openings of thespring-sockets B. These guide-pins O are fixed in the bearing -block 0on opposite sides thereof, being screw-threaded therein in thisinstance, and one of the forks of the bicycle is secured in any suitablemanner, as by the bolt 0 to each of the said bearingblocks 0. The upperand lower sides of the bearing-blocks O,surrounding the guide-pins O,are formed to correspond with the face of the spring-socket B andbetween said bearing-block C and each of said spring-sockets B upon theguide-pins C, have been placed the two coil compression-springs O and Cthe former above and the latter below the bearing-block O.

0 represents one of the forks of a bicycleframe.

From the construction detailed it will be seen that the weight upon theforks of the bicycle carried upon the bearing-blocks O is borne by thelower springs O, and the upward jolts of the bicycle-frame are cushionedby the upper springs 0 the proper tension of said springs according tothe weight of the rider and the condition of the road being obtained byan adjustment of the studs B Fig. 3 illustrates a form of thisspring-bearing slightly modified in detail. In this form a rod D extendsthrough the sleeve A and secures the bearing-blocks C rigidly together.The means of attachment of the spring-casings B to the cones A is alsosomewhat different from the means illustrated in Fig. 1. This modifiedform is shown in connection with the rear wheel of the bicycle; but theform of bearing illustrated in Fig. 1 may be used for the rear Wheel aswell.

While I have described my invention in its application to bicycles, itis clear that it can be used in connection with any wheeled ve hicle.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a spring-beariugfor bicycles and othervehicles,in combination,an axle; a spring-casing fixed with relationthereto, which casing is provided in its opposite ends with two alinedscrew-threaded openings; a perforated adjusting-stud for each of saidopenings; a bearing-block; means forsecuring one of the supports for thevehicle-body to the bearingblock; two oppositely-extending guide-pinsadapted to lie within the openings in the adjustingstuds; and a springon each of said guide-pins between the bearing-block and one end of thespring-casing.

2. In a spring-bearing for bicycles and other vehicles, in combination,an axle; a springcasing fixed with relation thereto, which casing isprovided in its opposite ends with two alined screw-threaded openings; aperforated screw-threaded adjusting stud for each of said openings; alock-nut, a dust-cap, and a spring-socket for each of said ad j u sting-studs a bearing-block;means for securing one of the supports for thevehicle-body to the bearing-block; two oppositely-extending guidepinsfixed in said block and adapted to lie within the openings in theadjusting-studs; and a spring on each of said guide-pins between thebearing-block and one of the said spring-sockets.

3. In a spring-bearing for bicycles and other Vehicles, in combination,an axle; a cone fixed oneach end thereof; a ball-race; balls therein; aspring-casing rigidly secured to each cone; a bearing-block in eachspringcasing; means for securing the supports for the vehicle-body tosaid bearing-blocks; a guide -.pin for each bearing-block; and a springon said guide-pin between the bear-- ing-block and one end of thespring-casing.

4. In a sprin g-bearin g for bicycles and other vehicles, incombination, an axle; a cone fixed at each end thereof; a ball-race;balls therein; a spring-casing rigidly secured to the outer side of eachcone, which casing is provided in its opposite ends with two alinedopenings; a bearing-block for each springcasing; means for securing thesupports for the vehicle-body to said bearing-blocks; twooppositely-extending guide-pins fixed in each of said bearing-blocks,and adapted to lie within said alined openings; and a spring on each ofsaid guide-pins between the bearingblock and one end of thespring-casing.

5. In a spring-bearin g for bicycles and other vehicles, in combination,an axle; a cone fixed at each end thereof; a ball-race; balls therein; aspring-casing rigidly secured to the outer side of each cone, whichcasing is provided in its opposite ends with two alined openings; aperforated adj usting-studin each of said openings; a spring-socket, alock-nut, and a dust-cap for each one of said adjusting-studs; abearing-block for each of said spring-casings; means for securing thesupports for the vehicle-body to said bearingblocks; twooppositely-extending guide-pins adapted to lie within the openings inthe adjusting-studs; and a spring on each of said guide-pins between thebearing-block and the spring-socket of each adjusting-stud.

6. In a spring-bearing for bicycles and other vehicles, the combination,with an axle, of a cone screwed into each end of said axle, and providedwith a shoulder; casings arranged vertically at the ends of the hub;screws clamping the casings against the shoulders of the cones; abearing-block in each one of said casings; means for securing thesupports for the vehicle-body to said bearingblocks; pins connected tosaid bearing-blocks and projecting therefrom, to operate through theends of the casings; and springs adjustably mounted on said pins.

7. Inaspring-bearing for bicycles and other vehicles, the combinationwith an axle, of a cone screwed into each end of said axle and providedwith a shoulder, casings arranged vertically at the ends of the hub,screws clamping the casings against the shoulders of the cones, abearing-block in each one of said casings; means for securing thesupports for the vehicle-body to said bearingblock; pins connected tosaid bearings and projecting therefrom to operate through the ends ofthe casings and springs adj ustably mounted on said pins.

FRED L. KOEIILER.

\Vitnesses:

ALFRED MELTZER, JoHN BUNTE.

